Four studies set to advance Psychiatry in 2018
M3 India Newsdesk Jul 20, 2018
Over the past 50 years, tremendous changes have occurred in the field of Psychiatry. This article summarises four such studies set to take the field forward in India.
Epidemiological studies report a wide range of prevalence rates of psychiatric illnesses in India, varying from 9.5 to 370/1000 population. At least 20% of the adult population is affected by one or the other mental disorder and requires a mental health intervention.
Children and adolescents with HIV have distinct cognitive and functional impairments
HIV infection in children and adolescents is significantly associated with cognitive and functional impairments. A study was conducted to assess the neuropsychological and functional profile of HIV infected children and adolescents undergoing ART. This cross-sectional case control study consisting of 42 HIV inflicted children and adolescents and 40 matched control without HIV. It was found that children with HIV had considerably poor scores of the verbal and performance domains on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III R (WISC-III R). Similarly, HIV infected children had lower verbal intelligence quotients (VIQ) when compared to the control group.
The study suggests that children with HIV on ART lag in several areas of cognitive functioning including attention, concentration, abstraction, and arithmetic, which are required for effective communication, self-care, education, training, employment, and leading a fruitful and independent life. Therefore, a clinician must incorporate psychiatric interventions in the treatment plan for children and adolescents with HIV.
Article: A study of neuropsychological profile of human immunodeficiency virus‑positive children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy. Murthy V S, Nayak A S, Joshi M K, Ninawe K. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2018
Isolated epileptiform discharges indicate disease severity in children with autism
The presence of isolated epileptiform discharges(IEDs) on EEG in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) denote severe illness, social impairment and behavioural difficulties. Some studies have reported that a significant subset of children with ASD exhibit IEDs that is often identified on electroencephalograms (EEGs).
A prospective double-blind comparative study of autistic children with and without IEDs was done to assess the relationship between IED and risk factors, clinical severity, behavioral problems, and social-quotient.
The presence of IED in ASD children signifies more severe autism, behavioural problems and social impairment.
IED can be viewed as an endophenotype at least in a subgroup of ASD. Thus, more research should be done to find out which specific therapies are effective this subset of children with ASD who have IEDs on EEG.
Article: Two‑Year Follow‑up of Isolated Epileptiform Discharges in Autism: An Endophenotypic Biomarker? Vimal Doshi Veerappan V D, Swetha B, Kavitha H R, et al. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2018
Psychiatric comorbidities are common in acute coronary syndrome patients
Psychiatric comorbidities like depression, anxiety, and substance use are prevalent in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In several studies performed in other countries, an association of ACS and depression has been established. A follow-up study was conducted in India at JSS Hospital, Mysuru, Karnataka, to evaluate the psychiatric comorbidities in Indian patients with ACS.
A total of 248 patients underwent psychiatric screening using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) PLUS 5.0.0, and the severity of depression was graded by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-21 item scale (HDRS). Major depressive disorder, a spectrum of anxiety disorders and substance use were found prevalent among the ACS patients. The anxiety disorders included panic disorder, dysthymia, agoraphobia, social phobia, OCD, and specific phobia. Substance use was also prevalent.
The clinician should keep a check on the psychiatric comorbidities that a patient with ACS may have and include mental health intervention as a part of their treatment plan if required.
Article: Psychiatric comorbidities in acute coronary syndromes: Six‑month follow‑up study. Shruthi D R, Kumar S, Desai N, et al. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2018
Neuropsychological rehabilitation helps in all round development of patients with Traumatic Brain Injury
Neuropsychological rehabilitation has a significant impact on the activities of daily living and community reintegration in patients with traumatic brain injury(TBI). A study was done in 10 patients with TBI, who were given neuropsychological therapy for 6 months. The therapy focussed on improving attention, visual processing, information processing, memory, and executive functions.
The results proved that neuropsychological rehabilitation is effective in improving neuropsychological deficits, which in turn led to improvement in ADL and community reintegration. Thus, clinicians must incorporate neuropsychological rehabilitation in the treatment plan of patients with TBI to achieve all round improvement.
Article: Impact of neuropsychological rehabilitation on activities of daily living and community reintegration of patients with traumatic brain injury. Amrita Kanchan, Amool Ranjan Singh, Nawab Akhtar Khan, Masroor Jahan, Rajesh Raman, TS Sathyanarayana Rao. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2018
-
Exclusive Write-ups & Webinars by KOLs
-
Daily Quiz by specialty -
Paid Market Research Surveys -
Case discussions, News & Journals' summaries
